An estimated 1,000 Iowans per week whose unemployment benefits would have expired beginning Monday got a reprieve late Tuesday night. President Obama signed into law a $10 billion bill extending unemployment benefits for an additional month, just hours after 78-19 passage by the U.S. Senate, IowaPolitics.com reported. Tuesday’s action came after a deal was reached with Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky, who had blocked the chamber from voting to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies. The deadline to apply for extended federal benefits was Feb. 28; more than 200,000 people were set to stop receiving checks nationwide this week.

Iowa airports will receive a total of $2.32 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funding for upgrades and improvement, Sen. Tom Harkin announced Tuesday. Des Moines International Airport will receive $1.52 million of that allocation for security enhancements, including upgrades necessary to meet current Transportation Security Administration guidelines to the airport’s automated access control system. Among other awards, the state will receive $95,000 to inspect pavement conditions at 24 airports.

The Iowa Business Council yesterday announced the first winner of its Iowa Partners in Efficiency Award, which recognizes state agencies that have used lean enterprise techniques to improve their processes. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources Snowmobile/ATV Registration and Titling program received the award for information management improvements in the registration and titling process. The new system uses a single database to store registration and titling information, allowing instant access to the data and providing for consistency in processing applications. The department was selected from among three finalists and 15 nominees.

National leaders in green technology will present at The Heartland GreenUp Symposium scheduled May 5 in Des Moines, the Technology Association of Iowa announced. Executives from Google Inc., Gartner Research and Hewlett-Packard Inc. are among the speakers scheduled for the symposium, which will focus on best practices in reducing energy consumption in the information technology sector. To register, click here.

Executives from two Greater Des Moines-based financial services companies will make presentations during the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference to be held in Orlando, Fla., on March 9. James Hohmann, CEO of FBL Financial Group Inc., and James Brannen, FBL’s chief financial officer, will present at 10 a.m. Iowa time. Terry Lillis, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Principal Financial Group Inc., will present at 1:50 p.m. Each will discuss his company’s financial results and business strategies. Live webcasts will be available at www.fblfinancial.com and at www.principal.com/investor.